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Everyone loves the waterfalls, and people go on long trips to enjoy this amazing creation of nature. Waterfalls are simply fun and bathing in it is an experience you can’t miss out on. Sitting under a waterfall, drowning in its deafening sound is one of the most tranquil experiences you can ever have in nature. The avid photographer cannot slip by a chance to capture some stunning waterfall images. While clicking waterfalls is simple, remember to be extra careful about your equipment. Follow these tips for some fantastic waterfall images.

Judge the waterfall:

A lot of photography is done based on judgement. You have to understand the functions and limitations of your camera along with external factors like the weather, light and supplementary equipment. Waterfall photography is best done on your judgement. Manipulating the shutter speed can help you create ghostly or dramatic images of the water. Your aperture is critical in adding just the right amount of depth in your photos. While composing your frame, don’t forget to follow the rule of the thirds. Try not to have too many elements in the frame that would rob away the waterfall’s charm.

Tripod:

The tripod is a simple yet crucial tool for waterfall photography. Besides adding to the stability of your image, the tripod lets you shoot long exposure shots with relative ease. You can even add additional protection to your lens and body against water droplets.

Weather

Check the weather forecast before heading out to shoot a waterfall. Slightly clouded skies with no rain would be ideal. If the sun is out, you could be lucky enough to see a rainbow near the waterfall. Sprays of water and the sun in the right position will get you the magical rainbow.

Filters:

There many filters you could play with to get different results. It’s recommended to use a Neutral Density filter for better quality of contrast. You can also try using a Polarising filter to nullify the light that causes overexposed spots near the water. Take two exposures, one for the water and one for the surrounding to get a balanced picture with perfect lighting.

Lastly, we suggest that you learn by trial and error. It’s the best way to learn and get stunning images. Happy shooting!

The lure of night photography bites every enthusiast sooner or later and it’s not difficult to understand why. The night brings out the moon and starts against a perfect black sky. The sight is pleasing to the eye and it opens up a box of wonderful possibilities. Night photos require a basic understanding of camera features like the shutter speed, aperture and film rate.

Once you have got a hang of this, you can begin. Ideally, a night photo will require a sturdy tripod, and a remote control trigger. The tripod will help you keep the camera absolutely still during the exposure and the remote control trigger will help you open the shutter with almost zero click vibrations. All these points go a long way when you have long exposures exceeding 30 seconds. It is advised that you frame your image well, considering all the elements in the foreground and background. Here are some tips that you can follow to get a perfect photo of the night sky.

1. Choose the correct Focus Setting:

The most crucial part of long exposure photos is the focus. If you are looking to shoot the stars, keep the zoom just short of infinity. This will ensure good details in the foreground and background, while having a good depth of field. In case you want to frame a specific foreground and a background, you can make two separate images and merge them in the post production.

2. Set an ideal Shutter Speed:

The shutter speed determines the duration of the exposure. If you want to capture a Star trail across the sky you should ideally have the shutter speed of 150 -180 minutes. For a sharp and stationary image of stars in the night sky, you can set the shutter speed to about 30 seconds. Generally for exposures in excess of 30 seconds, you usually set the shutter to ‘Bulb’ mode.

3. Set the Widest Aperture:

Your F-stop indicates how much of the film or sensor is exposed to the incoming light. Since you are shooting in the night, you should bargain for every inch of light that you can capture. Set the F-stop to the lowest value so that you have the widest aperture. In most cameras and lenses, we get F-stops as low as f/1.8 and f/2.

Do take care of the nuances like setting your tripod on flat, stable ground and charging your camera battery to full capacity before tripping the trigger. Use a film rate of ISO 400 at the very least and tempt yourself with ISO 3200 too. Remember these few points when you are out clicking and you will have some truly amazing pictures to show!

Street Photography is a massive challenge and those who engage in it are addicts for lifetime. Street Photography captures fleeting moments, expressions, ironies and things we often miss in a hurry. While it can be very difficult to find subjects and get a clear shot, one out of a hundred images will surely be a classic and this rule is applicable to beginners too.

India is rich in culture and vibrant in colours. In the same breath, we can take the liberty of calling a country full of paradoxes. Here is a small list of superb Street Photography places across India.

Mumbai

Known as the financial capital of India, the streets of Mumbai are filled with characters and stories. The hot spots in the city are Marine Drive and Girgaum Chowpatty. These places are excellent for street portraits, irony pictures and silhouettes.

Delhi

Chandni Chowk is the heartbeat of Delhi. Endless rows of sweet marts, food stalls and a healthy clamour of people and vendors. These busy streets are perfect to capture expressions and people. Where there is activity, there is a picture to be made. Clicking a picture of a person hungrily biting into a piece of piping hot parathas, won’t be so hard to get right!

Varanasi

The centre of everything Hindu, Varanasi is a city of Sadhus and the sanctum of Hindu rituals. Walking on the streets, you will see awe-inspiring scenes of little boys with bald heads and pig tails reciting Sanskrit scriptures in cohesion. Images of deep devotion and servitude to a religious belief are apparent in every one at Varanasi.

Lucknow

You’ve got to see it to believe it. The Nawabi (Royal) culture of Lucknow is present in everything from food to people’s demeanour. Subtle gestures of courtesy and Nawabi style of eating a ‘pan’ are jewels that you could capture.

While you roam the streets, there are a few basic tips that you should always keep in mind for Street Photography.

Be Shoot Ready

Street photography is a challenge because you only have that one second to click a natural expression. The minute you raise your camera, click away. The subject may become aware and hideaway or pose. You’d only want to capture natural, non-posing pictures.

Be Inconspicuous

Attracting too attention is the last thing that you’d want, when doing Street Photography. Avoid the gaze and blend into the crowd. When you’ve made your click, move and keep the camera low key.

If, they say No. Respect it.

Many a times, people wouldn’t appreciate you clicking them. Respect their wishes. Street Photography can easily be considered as an infringement of personal space. It is important to respect privacy and it is recommended that you carry model release forms with you, if you plan to upload or publish people’s photographs.

You should also consider exploring cities like Kolkata, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Panji, Kochi, Chennai, Shimla for street photography. These are vibrant cities and should rank high on your must visit list.